Lifestyles

Kids will have a chance to wish Happy BirdDay to George, the double yellow-head Amazon parrot that lives in the Oak Park Conservatory's tropical room. But there's more than that to KidsFest, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Sunday, March 1 at 615 Garfield St., Oak Park.

I usually don't watch the Academy Awards because the show is boring, it takes too long, and at my advanced stage of codgerdom, I no longer recognize any of the actors and actresses as stars or care to see any of the movies they make.

The famous designer Marc Jacobs once said, "To me, beauty and makeup and color are like the finishing touches on everything." How true that is! Most women think about their clothing first, and makeup is an afterthought. Maybe it's time to move it to the top of the list.

The Animal Care League is expecting — puppies, kittens and bunnies. To prepare for the upcoming arrival of those little creatures, your family is invited to the 10th Annual Baby Shower, 1-4 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 22 at 1011 Garfield, Oak Park.

Artist Terrence James Coffman has long loved the work of Vincent van Gogh. On Sunday, Feb. 15, Coffman will become van Gogh when he presents "A Walk Through the Wheatfields: The Missing Journals of Vincent van Gogh" at the Oak Park Art League. Coffman's one-person show is based on his book of...

Here to warm up the wintry month of February is music from the Spanish-speaking world, including songs of Mexico, Cuba South America and Spain, as presented by Chicago a cappella and dancers from Ensemble Español Spanish Dance Theater.

The Mont Clare Elmwood Park Kiwanis Club didn't let snow and rain dull their spirits on Jan. 25. The club's third annual Hafla at the Moose Lodge in River Grove attracted 160 guests plus an additional 60 dancers, and raised over $2,600.

Some of the greatest comedy minds, including Mel Brooks and Carl Reiner, combined forces in the 1950s as writers of the comedy/variety TV program, “Your Show of Shows.” Neil Simon takes audiences behind the scenes to the room where the magic happened in “Laughter on the 23rd...

The colder the weather, the more I stay inside, which means more time to notice all the things around my house that really bug me. From scratched furniture and drab walls to window coverings that have seen better days, my house is in drastic need of a facelift.

At a recent suburban Rotary club meeting, our town’s local school superintendent gave a brief report about the new PARCC tests, which stands for Partnership for Assessment for Readiness for College and Careers.

We can guarantee that you will hear “The Twelve Days of Christmas” like you’ve never heard it before at “Sing We Joyous!” It’s always the finale of the annual choral concert at First United Church of Oak Park —with a twist.

Christmas, Chanukah and Kwanza will all be celebrated during Holiday Hoopla, Saturday, Dec. 13 and Sunday, Dec. 14 at Wonder Works Children’s Museum, 6445 W. North Ave., Oak Park. There will be storytelling, games and special art activities to teach about the traditions of each holiday.

It will only take Ebenezer Scrooge 45 minutes to reform in Rose Productions of Chicago’s two-man rendition of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol,” 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 20 at the River Forest Public Library, 735 Lathrop Ave.

I’m humbled when I walk through our daytime Support Center on the way to my office every morning. Most of the men, women and families who are here to meet with case managers, use computers, take a shower or do their laundry have spent the previous night sleeping en masse at a shelter site...

No rodents will be sacrificed at Parent & Child Rat Hockey, 9:30-11 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 3 at Paul Hruby Ice Arena, 415 Lake St., Oak Park. “Someone who hangs around at a rink a lot is called a rink rat,” explained Mike Lushniak, aquatic and rink manager for the Park District of...

Back in October, Lisa Knasiak was brought on as the River Grove Public Library’s director. Before that, she was the youth services librarian for the Broadview Public Library for a little over two years.

The Doings features one (or more) of Brookfield Zoo’s animals each month with some background information about the animal, its species, its family and its connection to the zoo. This month’s animals are polar bears Aussie, Anana and Hudson, who live in the Great Bear Wilderness.